Sign-projecting device.



P. R. HAY.

SIGN PROJECTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1915.

1,175,353. Patented Mar. 14,1916.

2 SHEE'I:SSHEET l.

WITNESSES INVENTOR P. R; HAY.

SIGN PROJECTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1915.

v Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE COLUMBIA FLM OGRAPl-l Cm. WASHINGTON. n. c.

PAUL R. HAY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGN-PBOJECTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 14, 1916.

Application filed February 2, 1915. Serial No. 5,629.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL R. HAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of North Side Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and Stateof Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sign-Projecting Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My present invention relates to new and useful improvements in illuminated signs for advertising or kindred purposes.

More specifically my invention relates to an improved form of projecting device whereby illuminated images of words or other advertising matter may be projected upon a bill board, sign board, wall of a building, side walk or any other surface of a similar and suitable character.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a sign projecting device in which the illuminated images are thrown upon the screen by mounting a source of light in spaced relation thereto and interposing two or more stencils between the light and screen in such manner that no light will reach the screen except that which passes through the stencils.

An object of equal importance with the foregoing is to provide two or more stencils which are all of difierent gage as regards the size of the letters or other indicia, the stencil bearing theindicia of greatest size being placed remote from the light source so that the images thrown upon the reflecting surface are several times increased in size over the letters of the stencils.

Another object is to construct the projecting device with such regard to proportion, number and arrangement of parts that it may be cheaply manufactured, will be durable and eflicient in service and may be readily set up to project the sign producing images on any convenient reflecting surface or screen.

The above and other incidental objects of a similar nature are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings wherein is illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice,

vice, showing pa-rticularly the manner in I which the smaller stencil is secured thereto; Fig. 2 IS a detail view side elevation of the electric lamp and supporting bracket therer of; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the largerfstencil plate, Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of th face frame of the casing in which the larger stencil is mounted, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section through the assembled device. the section being taken as on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

In taking up the detail description of the drawings it is desirable to first explain that Figs. 1, 3 and 4 are made on the same scale and that the angle of perspective of all three figures is the same, it being therefore apparent that Figs. 3 and 4 may be perused in connection with Fig. 1 in ascertaining the manner in which the larger stencil and its carrying frame are attached to the body casing of the projector.

As its general elements of construction the device includes a substantially rectangu lar open faced casing 10, a rear face plate 11, a front face frame 12, a pair of stencils ]3 and 14 and a lamp 15, which is supported by a bracket designated as an entirety by the numeral 16.

The member is preferably formed of sheet metal, as are all other parts of the device. The rear face plate 11 is provided with a rectangular centrally located open-.

ing designated 17. This opening is occupied by the stencil plate 13, which member is mounted for longitudinal adjustment with respect to the member 11 and is accompanied by holding screws 18. 7

As will be seen upon reference to Fig. 1 the members 18 extend through the longitudinal slots 19 of the stencil 13, and are adapted to receive nuts whereby the member 13 is clamped in adjusted position. A protecting frame is secured on the rear face of the member 11 and is positioned to inclose the perimeter of the member 13. This protecting frame consists in the parallel end strips 20 which are formed of channel-shaped strips of sheet metal, and the parallel upper and lower side members 21', Rivets or simi-' lar fastening devices 22 are employed in holding the members 20 and 21 in position. From the lower edge of the plate 11 there extends a bracket arm or plate 28, which is longitudinally slotted as at 24, and serves as a means of attachment for the lamp bracket 16 as will he hereinafter disclosed.

The frame 12 which, as previously stated, is adapted to be positioned against the forward edge of the casing 10, includes a substantially rectangular frame piece 25 which is flat and is adapted to be clamped against the member 10 by the truss bolts 26. As shown in Fig. 1 particularly the members 26 are 4 in number, one being located at each corner of the members 11 and. 25. Each terminal of the members 26 is threaded and is accompanied by two nuts 27 and 28 which are adapted to bear against the opposite faces of the member 11 or 25 as the case may be. From the inner face of the member 25 there extends a rectangular frame 29 which is formed from a channel-shaped strip of sheet metal having an L-shaped cross section. This member 29 is of such dimensions that it will snugly engage against the inner faces of the walls forming the member 10 at all points. The frame 29 is held in position against the rear face of the member 25 by means of screw bolts 31. Three of these members 31 are passed through the'upper and lower horizontal members of the frame members and 29 as shown in Fig. 4. The larger stencil plate 14 in which, as will be noted, the letters 32 are of considerably greater size than the letters 33 of the member 13, is secured against the outer face of the member 25 by the bolts 31 which pass through the longitudinally elongated openings or slots 33 formed at the upper and lower edges of the stencil. l Ving nuts are of course threaded on the terminals of the member 31 for the purpose of clamping the stencil 14 against the face frame 12 in adjusted position. v

The electric lamp 15 is mounted in the well known manner in a socket 34 and is accompanied by a semispherical reflector 35. The socket 34 is carried on a bracket.

arm 36 which is pivotally united as by a pin 37 with. a similar bracket arm 38. A wing nut 39 is of course employed, in hold ing the members 36 and 38 in adjusted angular relation to each other. The member 38 is formed in the nature of atube through which extend the wires 39 for the socket 34. The bracket arm 38 is accompanied by a sleeve 40. The member 38 may be movedthrough the sleeve 40 when it is desired to elongate the lamp bracket for spacing the lamp the desired distance from the stencil 13. A collar 41 surrounds the member 40 at one terminal and serves as a support for a thumb screw 42. The thumb screw is engageable with the bracket arm 38 for holding the member in adjusted position with respect to the sleeve 40. That terminal of the member 40 opposite the collar 41 is exteriorly threaded and when the bracket is attached passes through the slot 24 of the member 23 as shown in F ig. 2. Lock nuts 43 and 44 are carried on the member 40 to engage against opposite faces of the member 43 for holding the sleeve against movement through the slot.

The actual construction and arrangement of the several parts of my invention. being thus disclosed, it now remains to briefly eX- plain the manner in which the stencils act to cause the projection of word-forming images upon a reflecting surface.-

All the light which reaches the reflecting surface emerges from the stencil openings of the plate 14. With the exception of such small amount of light as may result from reflection within the body 10, all the light which emerges from the stencil openings of the plate 14 consists of direct rays from the source of light, which rays have passed through the smaller stencil openings of the plate 18. It will be seen, therefore, that a gradually enlarging beam of light is formed,

for each letter of the stencils, the edges of which beam are sharply and clearly defined.v

It will of course be appreciateclthat the present projecting device makes provision for the throwing of anilluminated sign on a reflecting. surface, which sign is of much greater size than the letters; of the stencil. Inorder that the image may not be blurred the device must be mounted with the parallel stencil plates 13 and 14 extending, inv

planes parallel to the plane of the screen or other reflecting surface.

In reduction to practice, I have foundthal; the form. of, my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above de scription, as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with. the.

adoption of my device will, necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to. when required, without sacrificing anv of the advantages ofmy invention. as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a light-projecting device, a plate having stencil openings therein, a second plate having stencil openings therein corresponding to the openings of said first named plate but of smaller dimensions, said second named plate being spaced :rearwardly from said first named plate and parallel therewith, and a source of light for projecting light on the rear of said second named. plate, said light source being separated from said second-named plate by a distance proportioned to the distance between said plates and the sizes of the respective stencil openings, for the purposes set forth.

2. In a. light projecting device, a plate i so having stencil openings therein, a second plate having stencil openings therein corresponding to the openings of said first named plate but of smaller dimensions, said second named plate being spaced rearwardly from said first named plate and parallel therewith, a lamp for projecting light on the rear of said second named plate, and means for adjusting said lamp toward and away from said second named plate.

3. In a light projecting device, a plate having stencil openings formed therein, a second plate having stencil openings formed therein corresponding to the openings of said first named plate but of smaller dimensions,

said second named plate being spaced rearwardly from said first named plate and parallel with the latter, means for adjusting one of said plates longitudinall with respect to the other, and a lamp at the rear of said second named platefor projecting light on the latter.

4. In a light projecting device, a hollow substantially inclosed casing having the front and rear walls thereof parallel with each other, the front wall of said casing having stencil openings formed therein, and the rear wall being formed with stencil openings corresponding to those of the front wall but of smaller dimensions, and alamp for projecting light upon the rear Wall of said casing.

5. In a light projecting device, a hollow substantially inclosed casing having the front and rear walls thereof parallel with each other, the front wall of said casing having stencil openings formed therein, and the rear wall being formed with stencil openings corresponding to those of the front Wall but of smaller dimensions, a lamp for projecting light upon the rear wall of said casing, and means for adjusting said lamp toward and away from said casing.

6. In a light projecting device, a hollow substantially inclosed casing having its front and rear walls parallel and spaced away from each other, said front and rear walls being provided with stencil-platereceiving openings, stencil-plates mounted in said openings so as to be capable of longitudinal adjustment therein, said stencil plates having corresponding stencil openings therein, the openings of one plate being smaller than those ofthe other plate, and a lamp mounted outside said casing and disposed so as to project light upon the plate having the smaller'openings.

In testimony whereof, I the said PAUL R. HAY, have hereunto set my hand.

PAUL R. HAY.

Witnesses:

JOSEPHINE ll/IAOGHJVRAY, J. N. Coons.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

